Daily GK Updates - 9th January, 2020

NATIONAL UPDATES:

1. CCEA approves disinvestment of 4 CPSEs & 2 State PSUs in NINL: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has given its ‘in principle’ approval for strategic disinvestment of 4 Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) & 2 Odisha State PSUs in Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL). The 4 CPSEs includes Minerals & Metals Trading Corporation (MMTC), MECON, Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) and National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC). 2 Odisha State PSUs includes Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha (IPICOL) and Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC).

Note: NINL is a Joint Venture company, in which four CPSEs namely MMTC, NMDC, BHEL and MECON and 2 State PSUs of Odisha Government, namely IPICOL and OMC are shareholders. The proposed strategic disinvestment of NINL would unlock resources to be used to finance the social sector/developmental programmes of the Government benefiting the public.

2. Institutions at GAU to get status of Institution of National Importance: The Union Cabinet has approved conferring the status of Institution of National Importance to a cluster of Ayurvedic institutions at the Gujarat Ayurved University campus in Jamnagar. With the (INI) status, Jamnagar Ayurveda University will become the first Ayurveda institute to join the ranks of the IIT’s and AIIMS. The elevation of the status of the institution will provide it with the autonomy to upgrade the standard of Ayurveda education, frame various courses in Ayurveda as per national and international demand. It will help the institute to develop tertiary care in Ayurveda and to secure inter-disciplinary collaborations to give a contemporary thrust to Ayurveda.

Note: Chief Minister of Gujarat: Vijay Rupani; Governor: Acharya Dev Vrat.

3. Government authorizes Rs 5559 cr for Indradhanush gas grid project: The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to provide Rs 5,559 crore viability gap funding for building a 1,656 km gas grid in the Northeast region. The funding will be provided to Indradhanush Gas Grid Ltd for setting up the North-East Natural Gas Pipeline Grid. The gas pipeline would be developed in 8 states of the northeast; this will lead to the development of an industrial climate in these states and improvement in the standard of living of people in the region. The 8 North Eastern states includes: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim.

Note: The Indradhanush Gas Grid project is expected to provide natural gas to different types of customers and will also reduce the dependence on liquid fuels.

4. Maharashtra to organize ‘Advantage Maharashtra expo 2020’: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will inaugurate 'Advantage Maharashtra Expo 2020' in Aurangabad. The four-day mega industrial exhibition has been organized by the Marathwada Association of Small Scale Industries and Agriculture (MASSIA). Growth of Marathwada industries in technology and innovation and the products produced and exported from the region will be showcased in this exhibition. Over 450 exhibitors from within the state as well as outside the state are participating in this exhibition. This exhibition will provide the opportunity for ambitious businesses and will serve as the platform for small entrepreneurs.

Note: Chief Minister of Maharashtra: Uddhav Thackeray; Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

5. A Sakthivel appointed as the new chairman of AEPC India: Apparel Export Promotion Council of India (AEPC) has appointed A Sakthivel as the new chairman of the organization. He is appointed for the period 2020-2021. He will replace HKL Magu. He is also the first person in the history of AEPC, who is sworn-in for the fourth time as Chairman of the AEPC. Sakthivel along with some exporters had founded Tirupur Exporters Association in 1990.

Note: AEPC Founded: 1978; Headquarters: Gurgaon, Haryana.

6. 16th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas: 9 January: Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on 9th January every year. This year the 16th edition of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas is celebrated across the country. The day is celebrated every year to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community in the development of India. It also commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India on 9 January 1915. In this occasion, President of India conferred Pravasi Bharatiya Samman to NRIs or PIOs (Person of Indian Origin) or an organization established by NRIs or PIOs, who have made a significant contribution in supporting, promoting and building India’s links overseas.

Note: Union Minister of External Affairs: Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

7. India listed as 5th biggest Geo-political Risk of 2020: The political risk consultancy, the Eurasia Group has listed India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the fifth biggest geopolitical risk of 2020. The Eurasia Group has said that Modi has spent much of his second term--since winning the April-May poll--promoting controversial social policies at the expense of an economic agenda and its impact will be felt in 2020. The Eurasia Group list is topped by the elections in the US and followed by events and developments like the US-China technology tug of war on 5G as well as the trade war between Beijing and Washington.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

1. Iran designate US armed forces and Pentagon as ‘terrorist entities’: The Iranian Parliament has approved a triple-urgency bill that designates the US army and the Pentagon as a terrorist entity. The Bill further requires the government to allocate 200 million euro to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force to take revenge for the US killing of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani. 233 MPs repeated the words of the speaker, Ali Larijani, warning US President Donald Trump to await the consequences of his actions.

Note: Capital of Iran: Tehran; Currency: Rial; President: Hassan Rouhani.

2. Zoran Milanovic wins Croatia presidential Election: Zoran Milanovic of Croatia has won the presidential election of the country held on January 05, 2020. He defeated incumbent conservative leader Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic. Zoran Milanovic is the former Prime Minister of Croatia, who has pledged to make Croatia a tolerant country. The Social Democrat candidate, Milanovic took 52.7 percent of the vote, while President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic garnered 47.3 percent. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic was the first female President of Croatia.

Note: Capital of Croatia: Zagreb; Currency of Croatia: Croatian Kuna; Prime Minister of Croatia: Andrej Plenkovic.

3. Ukrainian aircraft boarding 176 people crashes in Iran: The Ukrainian aircraft “Boeing 737” boarding 176 people crashed in Tehran, Iran. The aircraft crashed shortly after taking off from Imam Khomeini International Airport located in Tehran, Iran. Flight data from the airport indicated the obstruction in communication with the aircraft as fire strucked one of its engines and pilot lost the control of the aircraft.

OTHER UPDATES:

SPORTS

1. Women weightlifter Sarbjeet Kaur banned for 4 years: Indian women weightlifter Sarbjeet Kaur has been banned for 4 years from the sport by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA). The sample of Sarbjeet, who won the 71kg event at the women’s national weightlifting championships in February last year, was collected during 34th Women Senior National Weightlifting Championship held at Vishakhapatnam.

Note: The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) is the national organization of India to promote, coordinate and monitor the doping control programmes of sports of all forms in line with the World Anti Doping Code in the country. It works under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. It was constituted under the Societies Registration Act in 2006 in the aftermath of the 2004 Copenhagen Declaration on Doping in Sports to which India is a signatory.

CEO of NADA: Navin Agarwal;  NADA Headquarters: New Delhi.

BANKING AND FINANCE

1. SBI announces 'residential builder finance with buyer guarantee' scheme: The country's largest public sector bank, State Bank of India (SBI) has announced the 'Residential Builder Finance with Buyer Guarantee' (RBBG) scheme to give a push to residential sales and improve homebuyers' confidence. Under this scheme, the SBI will issue a guarantee for the completion of select residential projects to customers who have availed home loans from it. The scheme will focus on affordable housing projects priced up to 2.50 crore rupees in 10 cities initially. Under RBBG, the guarantee would be given by the bank until the project gets the Occupation Certificate (OC).

Note: Chairperson of SBI: Rajnish Kumar; Headquarters: Mumbai; Founded: 1 July 1955.

2. Deutsche Bank projects India’s economy to reach $7 trillion by 2030: According to the Deutsche Bank report Imagine 2030, the Indian economy is likely to become $7 trillion by 2030. The Indian economy is expected to grow almost two and half times from about $3 trillion now and thus it becomes the world’s third-largest economy. According to the report, India will grow with the Nominal GDP growth rate of just over 10% in the next decade.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

1. Jasbinder Bilan wins 2019 Costa Children’s Award: India-born author Jasbinder Bilan has won the UK based Costa Children’s Award 2019. She has won the award for her debut novel ‘Asha and the Spirit Bird’. She will receive 5,000 pounds as prize money associated with the award.  Jasbinder’s novel “Asha and the Spirit Bird” was shortlisted from 144 other entries. The Costa Children’s Award is awarded annually in 5 categories: First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children’s Book.

2. Kanhaiya Kumar and Prashant Kishor in Forbes’ 20 people list to watch in the 2020s: Two youth leaders from Bihar Kanhaiya Kumar and Prashant Kishor included in the Forbes India list of 20 people to watch in the 2020s. Poll strategist Prashant Kishor is Janata Dal (United) National Vice President while Kanhaiya Kumar is former President of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union. Kanhaiya Kumar finds 12th position in the list while Prashant Kishor is at 16^th Indian origin US-born political commentator Hasan Minhaj is on the 1st position while Keyna’s Marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge in on the 20th place. Other Indians who find a place in the list is Dushyant Chautala (deputy chief minister, Haryana), Mahua Moitra (Lok Sabha member, Trinamool Congress), the Godrej family (of Adi Godrej) and Garima Arora.